It’s common to assume that since standing seems to be more exercise than sitting, losing weight while using a standing desk is something that will come naturally. Though it does burn more calories than if you were sitting down, it’s not a statistically significant number that could lead to you losing an abundance of weight. But, it is important to note that using a standing desk does lead to more opportunities in terms of losing weight at the office.

The Truth Behind Office Furniture and Losing Weight

For people questioning, do standing desks burn more calories? The answer isn’t as simple as they might think because, in some ways, it does but in others it may not lead to significant weight loss. You will need to combine other activities to truly see a reduction in weight.

The Concept of Standing vs. Sitting

According to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, researchers created a study group of people who would be assigned to stand and sit for 15 minutes at a time. While measuring activity levels and a number of calories burned, researchers determined that those who were standing would burn only two additional calories in 15-minute intervals. When you do the math, you may burn up to ten extra calories every hour. In an eight-hour day, that’s an additional 80 calories, which isn’t much.

There are plenty of people who believe that standing forces your body to burn more calories simply because you’re engaging major muscles that can be found in your legs. However, unfortunately, it doesn’t stimulate the muscles enough to where they use up energy and burn calories. Otherwise, the majority of exercises would rely on simply standing in place instead of jogging or walking.

Calories Burned When Standing vs. Sitting

For a more in-depth comparison, researchers also compared a number of calories people would burn when they were sitting versus when they were walking. Every 15 minutes of walking burned an additional 56 calories in comparison to only 20 calories burned while sitting for 15 minutes.

As you can see, it’s far more beneficial to engage all of your muscle groups in a more strenuous activity to actually see progress towards losing weight.

Do Standing Desks Burn More Calories by Encouraging More Physical Activity?

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on, it’s once you start to get your body moving, the more likely you are to engage in more physical activity throughout the day. This is one of the most prevalent points to consider when you start to think; do standing desks burn more calories?

When you’re sitting at your desk for extended periods of time going through reports and customer notes, you’re going to be far more likely to stay in that position until the work day is finished. Once you get into the “zone,” it’s going to be quite unlikely for you to make any changes in your posture or your physical activity. Whereas when you begin to use a standing desk, you’re taking the necessary steps to get your body moving.

People who have transitioned from using traditional desks to standing models find that it’s easier to walk away from their workstation throughout the day in an effort to give their bodies a break. This is a phenomenal way to take advantage of additional calorie burning activities, whether you go for a brisk walk around the office or if you take a few moments to walk around outside.

At the end of the day, you’re going to be far more likely to become a more active worker if you force yourself to get up out of your office chair and stand at your desk.

Becoming More Active Leads to Eating Healthier

Although it’s impossible to attribute eating healthier to using a standing desk, it can influence a variety of other lifestyle habits. It’s common for people to try to become healthier once they take more steps towards losing weight. For example, sitting at a traditional desk all day and eating the same unhealthy foods can put you in a routine that will only force you to lose weight.

Though, once you take the step to use a standing desk which will encourage you to take more walking breaks throughout the day, you’re going to want to start eating healthier to lose more weight. Since you’re already losing up to 56 additional calories while walking for 15 minutes, why not try to cut back on your sugar and carbohydrate intake as well? You’d be surprised to see the sheer physical and aesthetic benefits from eating better and getting more active.

Choosing Ergonomic Furniture for Exercise

If you’re in the market for office furniture that is going to give you the ability to lose weight, you can always look at standing desks that come with an integrated treadmill. Though they may be more expensive than your average standing desk, a treadmill standing desk will give you the ability to lose weight while you’re at the office.

The majority of these models are manually operated, meaning that once you start walking or running, the platform will automatically match your speed. In addition, other desks work similarly to traditional treadmills where you can set a specific speed and move with the conveyor platform.

Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping that a traditional standing desk will motivate you to become a healthier person, choosing a treadmill-standing desk will force you to. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go for a sweaty run every second of the day, but it does give you the choice of going for a walk without ever having to leave the office.

If you’re questioning, do standing desks burn more calories, the answer is a combination of yes and no. They do enable you to technically burn more calories than if you were sitting, but not enough to where you’d see a significant difference in your weight. If you’re looking for options in terms of being able to lose pounds while you’re at the office, consider spending more time taking breaks and exercising or other ergonomic furniture designed to create a healthier workforce.

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